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Ricciuti's is committed to working with seasonal produce sourced from local farms as well as its own garden. Located in the historic Olney House, the chef uses vegetables, beef, poultry and dairy raised or produced within 100 miles of Olney.

Pasture-raised beef, free of growth hormones and antibiotics, is distinctive, a little more earthy and gamey than industrial feed-lot raised beef. The Beef Short Ribs are rubbed with five different spices, seared, then braised slowly in a rich and flavorful broth at a low temperature until the moist tender meat barely clings to the bone. At this time of year, the meat is appropriately served atop a mound of diced winter root vegetables — rutabagas, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes — that are roasted and then moistened with the broth from the braise.

For the most part, the food at Ricciuti's is worth the trip. The restaurant's first floor is ablaze with a dazzling wood fired pizza oven busily baking tasty thin crust pies, calzones and stromboli adorned with local cheeses. Fine dining is available in a labyrinth of small rooms.

Sweet potato rosemary biscuits are a winter specialty, rich yet airy and crumbly with a sprig of rosemary glazed into the top, and served —appropriately for Valentine's Day — with a little local honey. The tasty Roasted Beet Salad consists of large diced pieces of sweet and slightly bitter beets are paired with dollops of creamy and slightly briny goat cheese. The greens are drizzled rather than properly dressed with vinaigrette.

Fried Oysters are delightfully crisp, and tastefully garnished with micro greens and a ribbon of zesty sauce on the plate. The Mushroom Strudel consists of roasted portabellos and a hint of aged cheese stuffed into a few layers of phyllo crust, served with a drizzle of bittersweet balsamic vinegar reduction.

Mist Meats, an array of cured meats and salamis, are flavorful, but are cut too thick, which renders the slices a little tough and chewy. And the olive oil dip would be more exciting with a pinch of something hot. Rich with roasted flavor, Butternut Squash Bisque is creamy without an extensive presence of heavy cream.

While slightly overcooked, our risotto featured the pleasant flavor of roasted carrot. The basil-infused olive oil accompaniment faded into the other flavors, a casualty — for better or worse — of too restrained a hand with the salt. The shrimp garnish was sparse, yet tasty and fresh.

Ricciuti's best entree is the Pan-Roasted Breast of Pheasant wrapped in thin slices of smoky bacon. Served with a gorgonzola cream, dried cherries and roasted pecans, the dish has an excellent composition of textures and flavors.

Either the Tagliatelli Pasta could take more sauce, or the tasty sauce could use a few less noodles. And Caesar would like a little more garlic, lemon or anchovy on his salad.

The after-dinner assortment of cow, goat and sheep's milk cheeses are nicely paired with sliced pear and dried cherries that had been soaked in something yummy. Of the desserts, the bread and custard in the bread pudding is served hot and is rich without being dense. It comes with a port wine caramel sauce whose bitterness compliments the custard's sweetness.

Chef-owner James Ricciuti involves himself in the local community of small, eco-friendly farmers. He leads cooking parties, taking groups on excursions to local markets, returning to the restaurant to teach techniques for making the most of the bounty. Consistent with Ricciuti's commitment to eco-friendly business practice, the restaurant is run on wind power, which costs a little more, and the cost of going green is passed on to the consumer.

Eating at Ricciuti's is good for you, especially since its chef has a restrained hand with salt, cream and butter. It helps local farmers who remind us that there is a culinary rhythm to the seasons.

Ricciuti's

3308 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney

301-570-3388

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 5–9 p.m.

Style of cuisine: New American

Prices: Small Plates and Appetizers: $5-$14, Entrees: $12-$25

Credit cards: All major cards

www.ricciutis.com

Dine at Ricciuti's through Feb. 17 and a percentage of receipts go to help the hungry in Montgomery County. Project of interfaith works. Visit Thanksgivinginfebruary.org.